Vermicompost was extracted with ethyl acetate (vermicompost: ethyl acetate = 1: 5, w/ v) and the extract the centrifuged at 7000 rpm for 15 minutes. The supernatant was used for radish bioassay. Five radish seeds were taken on 2mm x 2mm sterile Whatman filter paper and 750 ^l of that extract applied on radish seeds under aseptic condition and incubated at 25+1 0C for 5 days. After 5 days incubation, root and shoot length of extract applied seedlings were compared with that of control treatment.

After finding the presence of plant growth promoting compound, the ethyl acetate extract was fractionated by column chromatography using different proportions of hexane, dichloromethane and methanol to obtain 24 fractions, each of 50 ml. The fractions were then concentrated to 2-3 ml by rotary evaporator at a temperature below 40 0C. All the fractions were then tested by radish bioassay. The active three fractions (please follow the result below) were then analysed by HPLC and methanol water mixture (60: 40, v/ v) was used as mobile phase for this analysis.

Vermicompost was then extracted with sterile water (vermicompost: water = 1: 100, w/ v) under aseptic condition. The extract was then serially diluted 103 fold and incubated in broth medium with different amount of tryptophan at 300C for 7 days. After incubation, cell pellets were removed by centrifugation at 6000 rpm for 10 minutes. The supernatant was treated with Salkosky reagent and pink colour intensity was measured at 420 nm.

2. Results